Mishpacha
by AJ and Sebastian Goin
Summary: When Ziva's life is turned upside down, can she rediscover the true meaning of family? NOW COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Well hi there! First of all, thanks for reading. If this is the first story of mine you've read, please take just a moment to check out my very short profile. Second, if you have read stuff of mine before, this may be a little different. There will be two separate timeframes running simultaneously in the story. The current one shall be in normal font, the earlier one in italics. Also, any conversation which is bolded indicated the characters are speaking in Hebrew. I think that takes care of the important stuff, hope you enjoy!

Muse's Note: Hiya! For the record, AJ is requiring me to let you all know that all of the fluffy meaningless bits of this story are completely my doing. That said, all that angsty and plot ridden stuff is all her. Also, because this is a more serious fic and I am addicted to fluff, we will be publishing the occasional oneshots while we work on this story. That combined with the fact that summer is the busy season at the farm supply store where we work means we may sometimes go several days without updating. We do hope to post a minimum of twice a week (or once plus a oneshot). I guess that's all for now. Happy reading!

Disclaimer: If I really had NCIS to play with my ideas would be on TV, not the interwebs.

Rating: I'm going to say T for now, but that may change later as this will be, in part, a case fic and, in part, a romance fic.

Pairings: TIVA with some possible hints at McAbby.

* * *

The sound of crying jolted her awake. It only took a moment for her to identify the noise and push herself out of bed and to her feet. She exited her bedroom and quickly took the couple of steps to the next door down the hall. She pushed it open and crossed to the bed. Gathering the crying child in her arms she hugged him close and rocked gently back and forth.

"Shhhhh. **It was just a dream. It wasn't real. You're safe here, Ori.**"

After a few moments the boy's crying quieted. She sat him in her lap and reached for a tissue to dry his tears. "**All better, pitzl?**"

He snuffled and nodded and she set him back on the bed, pulling the blanket over him. She bent to place a kiss on his forehead then shifted, ready to stand. His small hand shot out and grasped hers and she turned back to look at him. "**What is it?**"

"**I'm scared. Will you stay with me?**"

Her gentle smile was answer enough and he moved over to make room for her to lie down next to him as he yawned widely. "**Goodnight, Ori.**"

His hand settled back into hers as his eyes drooped. "**Goodnight, Ziva.**"

* * *

"_Ziver, DiNozzo, grab your gear."_

_Tony exchanged a quizzical look with his partner as he grabbed his bag. "We got a case, Boss?"_

"_We don't. FBI does. They need an agent that speaks Hebrew." Gibbs was writing something on a piece of paper and didn't look up as he answered._

"_Then what are you sending me for?"_

_Gibbs tore the paper from the pad and crossed to his senior agent. "Because, DiNozzo, I don't know what they need her for, and I don't know the agent in charge. She's going to translate. You're going to watch her six." He presented the piece of paper and a set of keys to the younger man._

"_Got it, Boss. Watching her six. On it." Tony quickly took the items and headed for the elevator, Ziva falling into step beside him._

_In the elevator he quickly read the sheet of paper. It contained an address and a name, nothing more. He assumed that the address was where they were expected and the name that of the case agent in charge._

_They made the drive to Arlington in relative silence. He wasn't sure what was on Ziva's mind, but Tony was confused. He was sure that the Bureau would have to have at least one agent who spoke Hebrew in the DC area. How could they not? So why were they asking for his partner?_

_The question weighed on him so heavily that he couldn't resist the urge to ask it. They had arrived at the address, an apartment building, and been quickly introduced to Agent Jason Fielding. He was still shaking Tony's hand when the question had popped out. "Why are we here?"_

_Fielding, to his credit, seemed to understand Tony's apprehension. "The only agent fluent in Hebrew I could track down is a rather large, imposing looking man. In this situation, I felt that having a woman speak with our witness would be a much better idea." He turned then and led them not into the building, but around the back to a small courtyard._

_There, surrounded by toys, a young boy sat idly on the grass. "His name is Ori Kedar, four years old. This morning, his father didn't show up for work. A coworker was concerned when he also didn't answer the phone and came by on her lunch break. Found the door to their apartment unlocked and the boy alone inside. His parents are the fifth Israeli couple in the area to go missing in the last two weeks. They've only been in the US for two months. He doesn't seem to speak any English. The father's coworker said he was fluent but had mentioned his wife wasn't so they probably only spoke Hebrew in the home. We need to know if he saw anything."_

_Tony was watching Ziva out of the corner of his eye. He knew being involved in this case would be hard for her and he was suddenly glad Gibbs had sent him along. She had listened to Fielding's briefing, but now she was focused on the young child. After a moment of silence, she dropped her bag at her feet and removed her gun, handing it to him._

_She approached the boy slowly, sitting down where he could see her. "__**Hi, Ori. My name is Ziva. Can I play with you?**__"_

* * *

Ziva smiled sadly as she watched Ori sleep. It sometimes amazed her when she realized it had only been seven months since she'd met the boy. Seven months and her entire life had changed. And soon it would all be changing again. Exactly how, she wasn't sure. But, after next week, her life, and Ori's, would finally be able to move forward.

In the last eight years, her idea of family had been shattered and redefined time after time. Hopefully, this would be the last time. Hopefully she would be able to show Ori the true meaning of mishpacha.

AN: I know this is short but it's really just mean to be a prologue. Will get the next chapter up no later than Friday.

**Translations:**

**Pitzl: A term of endearment for a small child**

**Mishpacha: Family**


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Some have you have expressed ideas about exactly where this is going and while you have hit some of the points, there are things coming that you have NO clue of yet. So hang on tight and enjoy the ride!

MN: This is going to be one of those angsty chapters I warned you about. Remember, it's all her. Not me.

* * *

"Gibbs, my office. Now!" Vance was pissed. The tone of his voice left absolutely no doubt about it. And he had every right to be. Shooting his senior agent a harsh look, Gibbs rose from his chair and hurried to the stairs.

He hadn't managed to release the doorknob when the Director's anger exploded. "DiNozzo is out of control! You need to fix this. Now."

"I wish it was that simple, Leon." He crossed the room and dropped himself into the leather armchair in the sitting area. After a moment's pause, his boss followed suit, sitting on the couch opposite him.

"This is about David, isn't it?"

"It's been seven months, Leon. Trial starts on Monday. Might help if he knew what was going to happen. Is she coming back?"

Vance sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. "I don't know. The Marshalls are keeping their mouths shut about the whole thing. I can't even tell you if she's back in DC yet."

"We need her back. My team is self-destructing." Gibbs shoved himself from the chair and moved toward the door. "I'll do whatever it takes, Leon."

"You do what you have to do for family, Gibbs. Take the rest of the day. Tomorrow and the weekend too. Your whole team. Find a way to make this right."

* * *

"_**I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?**__" Ziva waited for the boy's nod before she stood and crossed to her partner and Fielding._

"_So? Did he manage to tell you anything?" So far, she was rather impressed with the FBI agent. He seemed to recognize that Ori was a child and he couldn't push things too hard with him._

"_He doesn't know anything. He said he woke up this morning and went to his parents' room. They weren't there. They weren't anywhere in the apartment. He was scared so he hid in the closet until he heard someone calling his father's name." She glanced back over her shoulder at the child._

"_That would have been the coworker. I'm calling in Homeland on this. The family came here on a political refugee visa. So did two of the other missing couples. The disappearances may be related to why they fled Israel."_

"_Could Ori be in danger?" Ziva was glad Tony asked the question so she didn't have to._

"_Doubtful. He was asleep in the apartment when his parents were taken. If they'd wanted him, they would have had him. Poor kid. I don't even know if Child Protective Services has anyone who speaks Hebrew."_

_Ziva's heart clenched. "Why doesn't he come back to NCIS with us? I can take him for a few days while you investigate. That way, if he is in danger, he will be protected."_

_Fielding looked from her to Tony and back. "We'll have to clear it with both of our directors. I'm willing to say I think he might be at risk if you both are."_

_Tony's eyes locked with hers and she pleaded with him silently for a moment. "I'm in."_

_Fielding pulled his phone from his pocket. "Great. I'll get the ball rolling."_

_Ziva looked back once again. "Is it alright if I take him to get something to eat and a cold drink?"_

_Fielding looked from her to Tony once again then nodded. "Sure. Just don't go far. And leave your cell number with one of my agents." With that he turned and walked away, bringing his phone to his ear._

_Ziva turned back toward Ori, but Tony reached out and took her by the elbow, stopping her. "Ziva, be careful. You know this is the job. That's it."_

"_I know. But right now 'the job' is a scared little boy who has no one to look out for him but us."_

* * *

Gibbs looked around his living room, trying to gauge the reactions of his team to what he'd just said. Ducky was the first to speak.

"What you're saying, Jethro, is that we have three days to help make the case iron clad and figure out how much danger she'd be in if she came home."

"Exactly, Duck." He continued to stare at his couch where Abby sat sandwiched between McGee and Palmer. He could almost see the smoke coming from her ears as she considered what he was asking.

"And Tony's not here because?"

"Because he can't be objective, Abbs. If it really comes down to making the call that it's not safe, I don't know that he could do it. And we need to all be together on this."

The group returned to contemplative silence for several minutes. Then Palmer shrugged. "There's not really a question here, is there? Of course we do it. What's the plan?"

The other members of the team were nodding their agreement. "Alright. McGee, I want everything you can access about the case and Thompson. Hack, lie, code crack, whatever. Abbs, once he gets you the forensic reports, go over them. Make sure the FBI techs didn't miss anything. Palmer, review the autopsy reports. Look for things the original ME may not have been. Duck, get me a psychological profile of this guy. No one's been able to figure out what made this guy do what he did. Let's change that. We work out of here. Nothing goes through official channels. And no one talks to DiNozzo."

* * *

"_**Ori, this is my friend, Tony. He's going to take us to get something to eat. He does not speak Hebrew so if you want to tell him something, tell me and I will tell him in English, okay?**__"_

_The boy nodded at her and squeezed her hand tighter. Tony smiled at him gently before looking at her. "One of the Unis told me there's a kosher deli on the corner a few blocks away. I figured that might be the best place to go. He's probably been there before."_

"_Good idea." She gave Ori's hand a gentle squeeze. "__**Have you been to the deli before with your parents?**__"_

_He nodded as he walked beside her. "__**Yes. It's the place my Ima and I can go without Aba. They speak Hebrew there. Ima and I don't speak English but they are trying to teach us.**__"_

* * *

"Ori, hurry up! We are going to be late." Ziva looked up from the bottom of the stairs as the boy came rushing into view and down the stairs.

"**I'm right here.**"

She caught him by the arm as he tried to hurry by her. "Uh uh. What are the rules?"

Ori toed at the floor, his eyes cast down. "We are in America. We speak English. And if we don't know how to say what we are trying in English, then we ask."

She squatted to bring her face level with his and used a single finger to tilt his chin until he looked at her. "And why is it important to speak English?"

A small smile toyed at the corners of his mouth. "So I can go to school in Autumn."

"Right." She straightened and pulled his coat from the hook in the hall, handing it to him. Once they were both bundled up they exited the townhouse into the crisp February air.

They were several blocks away before he spoke again from his carseat in the back. "Why did you talk to me in Hebrew last night?"

"Because, Pitzl, you were scared. And I know, when I'm upset, talking to someone in Hebrew calms me down. Making sure you knew you were safe was more important than practicing English last night." She glanced up at the mini van's built in mirror to see him looking out the window.

"Oh." After another moment of silence he spoke again. "Where are we going?"

"I have to go to the doctor. Then we are going to see Bill." Another glance in the mirror told her he was frowning at the mention of the US Marshall. She couldn't blame him really. The man wasn't at all good with children.

"Why do we have to see Bill? I do not like him."

Ziva sighed. "I know. But remember what we talked about? Next week I have to go tell some people about the bad man that hurt your Ima and Aba. Bill is in charge of making sure we get there and have somewhere to stay."

In a near perfect imitation of her, Ori sighed. "Okay. But I still do not like him."

* * *

AN: I know this is all making perfect sense in my brain, but if it isn't coming across that way, please let me know. Not everything is meant to be fully explained yet because of the split timelines, but if you have questions, please ask via PM.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for the reviews guys. So I just watched the season finale and, let me tell you, I am SO not a happy camper. I won't share any spoilers but for the record, in THIS universe, that did NOT happen. Also, to the reviewer who said they were confused, please PM me and I will attempt to clear things up for you and also find out where I might be able to improve the story. If you do not do so, I will consider your review fratching and remove it since I specifically asked to be PMed about any confusion. I really do live for the reviews, but you can't just generally insult the story and have me be okay with it. That does me no good as far as improving either the story or myself as a writer.

MN: If AJ is mad about the finale, I'm pissed beyond what can be expressed here without having to change the rating of this fic. To those of you who have reviewed and/or PMed, thank you. We love hearing from you. Please always feel free to let us know specifically things that you loved, hated, or would have changed. We are planning on participating in NaNoWriMo 2013 and any input that helps us grow as writers before then is more than welcome.

* * *

"Junior, you in here?"

Tony cursed under his breath. He was seriously regretting having given his father a key to his apartment. Apparently ignoring the man's calls for a solid week wasn't enough of a hint that he didn't want to talk to him. Hell, he didn't want to talk to anyone. "Go away, Dad."

Far from listening to him, his father appeared in the doorway to his bedroom, further invading his space. "This place is a mess, Junior. What are you doing?"

Tony brought the glass in his hand up to his lips and took a long swallow of the amber liquid it contained. "At the moment? I'm getting lit. What are you doing in my apartment?"

The elder DiNozzo crossed the room and took the glass from his hand. "Apparently I'm saving you from one hell of a hangover." He sat on the bed next to his son. "Talk to me."

"Nothing to talk about. Had a bad day at work. Stepped on some toes. Vance had Gibbs put me in solitary for the weekend." Tony shoved to his feet, swaying slightly as the full force of the whiskey he'd consumed presented itself. He meandered into the kitchen and retrieved a second glass filling it from the bottle on the counter then moving to drop himself on the couch.

As soon as his rear hit the cushion, he remembered why he'd chosen to drink in his bedroom in the first place. There, on his coffee table was a framed picture. Ziva pinning him to a mat during a workout together. On his mantle there were more. Gibbs showing Ziva how to cast a line when the team had taken a fishing trip together. Ziva and Abby lighting a Menorah in Abby's lab the previous Hanukkah. The one she hadn't missed. Ducky and Ziva dancing together at the party they'd thrown for Palmer after the whole Harper Deering situation had been resolved. The entire team gathered on a picnic blanket ready to watch the Independence Day fireworks together.

In his living room, he couldn't escape her. Here, there was no chance of getting her face out of his mind for a single moment.

"When does the trial start?"

As his father once again sat next to him, Tony sighed. He studied the glass in his hands, no longer interested in its contents. "Monday."

"And then what? Will she be coming home?"

"Doesn't look that way. Jonas Thompson still has yet to speak a word since his arrest. Since they can't be sure he acted alone, she could still be in danger. The Marshalls will probably use the kid as leverage to get her to agree to stay in the program."

For the first time since his arrival, Tony looked at his father. "I warned her. Not to get involved with him. This never would have happened if she had just listened."

His father shrugged and threw back the remainder of the alcohol in the cup he'd taken from his son. "If she had listened, she wouldn't have been Ziva."

* * *

"_Agent Fielding, this is a surprise. What brings you all the way to NCIS?" Tony knew he was eyeing the other man suspiciously, but he couldn't help it._

_Over the course of the last week the FBI agent had been in almost constant contact with Ziva regarding Ori and the disappearance of his parents. The few times he had spoken to him instead he'd asked questions mostly about his partner, not the case. Now he had shown up, unannounced._

"_We found Shoshi Kedar. Whoever took her kept her drugged, so she doesn't know who it was or where she was being kept. She managed to escape somehow, was picked up by a Good Samaritan when he found her wandering around outside of Bear Creek State Park. We've got teams going in to search the cabins and campsites. I came by to pick up Ori so I can take him to his mother."_

_Tony breathed a sigh of relief as he stood. "Ziva took him down to our forensic scientist's lab for lunch. Come on, I'll walk you down."_

* * *

Gibbs kicked McGee's foot, waking him with a start which, in turn, woke Abby. He presented them with a pair of Caf-Pows. They both took pulls through the straw before he spoke. "What have we got so far?"

McGee tapped a few keys then turned his laptop so Gibbs could see it. "Jonas Thompson, 36. Born and raised in Alexandria. Divorced, no children. Parents both passed away when he was in college." As he spoke he hit keys on his wireless keyboard and the pictures changed.

"Has worked for the same ad agency for the last ten years. Perfect attendance record, no disciplinary action, good performance reviews."

"Is that it?" Gibbs took a sip of his coffee and grimaced. He'd settled for the junk from the convenience store and it was significantly subpar compared to what he usually got from the diner.

"So far. It took me most of the night to get through the employer's firewall. I'm still decrypting most of their files."

"Abbs?" He turned his attention to the forensic scientist as she shook her head.

"The forensics are solid. The gun Ziva pulled off Thompson is a match to the slugs found in each of our male victims. DNA confirms he raped each of the women. With Ziva's testimony that he had the gun in his hand, the case is a slam dunk on all ten counts. I've been helping sift through the data coming in from the ad agency."

"Keep it up you two." He turned and headed for the door to his basement. Ducky and Palmer had set up down there and he hoped they were having better luck.

* * *

_Ziva crouched down next to Ori as the boy sat next to his mother's hospital bed. Fielding had promised her the pair would be placed into protective custody when Shoshi was released from the hospital._

"_**They won't stop looking for your father and the bad man that hurt your mother. And they are going to keep you safe.**__" She pulled a card from her pocket and pressed it into his small hand._

"_**Keep this. If you are ever in trouble, call me, just like I showed you, okay?**__"_

_The boy nodded at her as he tucked the card into his pocket. "__**Thank you for taking care of me, Ziva. And tell Tony and Tim and Abby too for me.**__"_

_She pulled him into a brief but tight hug. "__**I will. Be a good boy, Ori.**__"_

_Once out of the room she watched him for a moment. Something didn't feel right, but she trusted Fielding to keep his word and keep the boy and his mother safe._

* * *

"Ziva, Ori. Nice to see you again. Please, have a seat." Marshall Bill Nichols was as detached as ever as he waved them into the conference room.

Ziva pulled a tablet from her purse and handed it to Ori once they were settled into their chairs. The boy immediately shoved the earbuds plugged into it in his ears and tapped the icon for a game he liked to play.

"That should buy us about half an hour of quiet from him." Ziva stared at the man across from her. She would definitely be glad when she didn't have to deal with the bland Marshall anymore.

Bill flipped open a file on the table before him and thumbed through the pages. "This shouldn't take that long. I trust everything went well with your appointment?"

She fought the urge to roll her eyes. He didn't need to pretend to care with her. "Yes. Everything's fine. Can we please just get this over with?"

"Right. Everything is set. I will be picking you up on Monday at 8am. Make sure you pack everything you need. You won't be coming back to Ohio after the trial. I've arranged a transfer point where you'll be moved to the supervision of another Marshall. He will take you the rest of the way into DC and head the protection detail assigned to you at the hotel for the duration of your stay."

Ziva glanced at Ori. He was thoroughly engrossed in his game. "And after the trial?"

For the first time in the six months he'd been her handler, Bill looked truly apologetic. "I'm sorry Ziva. He's still not talking. It's just not safe for you and Ori to stay in DC. We can't force you to stay in the program, but if you want to go through with the adoption, it's just not an option to go back."

Her gaze dropped to the table and she nodded. She'd known this was a possibility and she was prepared for it. "I'm going through with it. We can still finalize it after I testify?"

Once again Bill turned several pages in the file. "Yes. Everything has been filed with the family court the Marshalls Service uses in DC. It'll all be legal by the time you're relocated."

* * *

AN: Okay, now that we got that out, I'm going to bed. Next chapter will likely be up Friday.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Really hoping my brain cooperates and we're able to bang this out today, but I'm not 100% for sure. Today is my mother's birthday and I slept in and then I invited my little bro over to hang out until Mom gets home from work so if he does come over, my ability to write depends on his ability to entertain himself.

MN: Is she killing anyone else here with the lack of fluff? Cause she's killing me!

* * *

_Tony was watching Ziva from behind his desk. She was sitting at hers, pretending to write her report for the FBI. Now that Ori was no longer in her care, they officially had no further part in the case, but that didn't sever her emotional involvement._

_During the week that she cared for the boy, he'd won a place in Ziva's heart. Hell, he'd won a place in all their hearts. Even the usually harsh Gibbs had been seen coloring pictures of puppies with Ori. At one point on Wednesday the kid had somehow managed to organize the biggest game of hide and go seek that Tony had ever seen. All while speaking barely a few words of English._

_His stomach rumbled and he glanced down at his watch 1811 hours. Definitely time for dinner. He stood and pushed back from his desk, grabbing his bag then walked to Ziva as casually as he could. "Hey, you hungry?"_

_She jumped slightly when he spoke, showing exactly how lost in her own mind she had been. Once she processed what he'd said, she shook her head. "I need to finish this." She brought her hands to the keyboard and made a point of typing out a few words._

"_Ziva, it'll still be there Monday morning. I doubt Fielding expects you to stay all weekend to write it. Come on, we can go for steak. My treat." Before she could protest further he grabbed her bag and guided her from her seat by the arm._

"_Fine, Tony. We can go to dinner. But then I am coming back here to finish my report."_

* * *

"Ori, you have to choose. Just a few things. We will get new toys when we get to our new house. Only take what's important." Ziva watched as the boy's face fell and it made her heart ache. Trying to explain to a four year old that he had to leave most of what had made their house a home behind was proving more difficult than she'd imagined.

Immediately he dove back toward the pile he'd amassed on his bedroom floor. As expected, the first thing he singled out was his bear. It had been the only toy he had left that his parents had given him. Having been forgotten at Ziva's when he'd returned to his mother, it was the only thing that hadn't been listed as evidence.

The stuffed animal was placed lovingly on his bed before he dug back into the pile. When he stood again he was holding a baseball glove. That had been a present from Gibbs who had taken it as a personal insult that Ori had never played catch.

Next followed a small labcoat, all that was left from the preschool science kit Abby had given him, and a handheld electronic game that had been a parting gift from McGee. Then two versions of the same book, one in Hebrew, the other in English. Those had been gifted from Ducky and Palmer.

Ziva expected him to sift back through the pile, choosing one of the numerous 'typical boy' toys Tony had bought for him. Instead, he returned to the toy box. She'd assumed it was empty, its contents drained into the pile on the carpet. But the boy leaned inside the open lid and grasped something from the bottom.

It wasn't until he laid it on his bed that she could tell what it was, a photo. As she stepped closer she realized what it was and had to fight to keep her voice even. "Where did you get that, Ori?"

The little boy paused, his arms full of toys he was returning to the toy box. "From Tony. When you were about to take me back to my Ima. He told me, '**So you can keep her with you forever**'. And he gave me that."

She wiped a tear from her cheek and took a deep breath. "Pick another from Tony. I'll keep this safe for you with my things."

Before she could see the quizzical look on the boy's face she had left the room, the picture of herself in Paris in her hand.

* * *

_The conversation at dinner had been strained. They were both taking care not to mention Ori and it had been far from effortless. Ziva had still been insistent on wanting to return to the office when they'd left the restaurant, but she'd fallen asleep in the car quickly so he'd taken the exit for her apartment instead._

_Now as he parked outside her building, Tony took a moment to look at her. He knew she hadn't slept much the previous week. She'd told him Ori was having nightmares at all hours. Somehow he hadn't noticed the bags under her eyes until that evening though._

_With a sigh he reached over to lay a hand gently on her arm. "Ziva." For the second time that evening she jumped at the sound of his voice as she came awake._

_She recognized where they were and scowled at him. "Tony, you were supposed to take me back to work."_

"_You're exhausted. Get some sleep tonight and I'll come pick you up and take you in tomorrow."_

_She stared him down for a moment then seemed to realize he wasn't going to relent and opened the door to the car._

_He followed suit, exiting the car and grabbing her bag from the back seat._

"_Tony, I am perfectly capable of walking into my apartment alone."_

_He ignored her comment and started toward the door._

* * *

"Boss, we've got something."

McGee's voice had him running up the stairs at a pace that made his knees protest. Once he was in the living room he looked expectantly at the young agent. "Talk to me."

His living room had been transformed. There were laptops and monitors scattered on every available surface and Abby turned one of the monitors toward him now. "A year ago, Thompson was offered a promotion at work. He turned it down."

"Why?"

"The file doesn't say. But what's interesting is why the position was available."

McGee tapped a few keys on his laptop and an image of a dark haired woman appeared on the screen. "Yasmin Romach, 32. Immigrated from Israel ten years ago with her husband, Eldad. Thirteen months ago, she went missing. I pulled up the police reports. The husband was suspected, but they had no evidence. He claimed she was having an affair and must have run off with her lover. An email account turned up in the investigation to corroborate the affair, but locals couldn't identify the man."

"Get to the point, McGee."

Abby was practically bouncing in her seat. "Locals couldn't, but we could. Yasmin was seeing none other than her coworker, Jonas Thompson."

* * *

_As Tony exited the bathroom he looked around. Ziva wasn't in the living room anymore. He crossed the room to her bedroom doorway. She was sitting on her bed, looking down at the stuffed bear in her hands. He recognized the toy as being the one thing Fielding had managed to snag out of Ori's room for him._

_He moved through the doorway and sat gently beside her on the bed. "I can call Fielding in the morning, arrange for it to get back to him."_

_She shook her head. "I will do it."_

"_Ziva, is that a good idea? I don't think you should see him again. It's not going to help."_

_She turned to look at him and the sadness in her eyes caused his chest to ache. "Yes it is. I need to see that he is okay without me. It will help me let go."_

_Tony reached over and covered his hand with hers. "Okay. But let me go with you." He could tell she was about to protest but he pushed on, finishing his thought. "I need to see that _you_ are okay."_

_She stared at him for a moment then nodded. Wordlessly they stood and walked through her apartment to the door. He turned to face her. "Pick you up around 0830?"_

"_Yes." He started to turn but her voice stopped him. "Thank you, Tony."_

"_You're welcome, Ziva. But next time, instead of thanking me, just let me be there for you. Cause I always will be."_

_Her soft smile made his heart skip a beat, as it always did. "I know. You always are."_

_But that wasn't what surprised him. When they were alone together and she was emotionally drained, she'd always admit she knew he was there. What surprised him was when she moved to hug him. After an initial moment of shock, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly to him._

_Minutes later he felt her grip on him relax and he moved to press a gentle kiss to her temple, sneaking a deep whiff of her strawberry shampoo. As he began to withdraw from her, her arms stiffened. He looked at her and what he saw in her eyes caught him completely off guard._

_In an instant his lips were on hers. The kiss was both tender and deep; emotional and needy. Bliss. It was pure bliss and Tony wished he could stay in that moment forever._

_The need for air was what drove them apart. He pressed his forehead to hers, unwilling to move any further away from her than that. They stayed like that until they had both recovered their breath. She moved back just far enough to look him in the eye._

_He had half expected her to panic, but that wasn't what he saw in her eyes. Her voice was low when she spoke and the single word sent pleasant chills up his spine. "Stay?"_

_He opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by the shrill ring of her cell phone._

* * *

AN: I know this is once again a cruel place to leave things but I must get in the shower if I'm to be ready for birthday festivities by the time Mom gets home. There will not be an update tomorrow as Saturdays at the farm supply store mean 9 hour shifts with no breaks (just a lunch) and being busy as all get up. Should be off Sunday so maybe get one up then.

MN: Finally I get to throw a little fluff into the mix! About freaking time. *does a 'happy muse' dance*


	5. Chapter 5

AN: If any of you are like JenJen, you are very mad at us for how we left the last chapter. I am going to warn you right now, we are probably going to piss you off again before this is all over. If it makes you feel any better, that deliciously fluffy Tiva bit at the end was all Sebby and he isn't cluing me in any more than he is you so I was left hanging too!

MN: Bwahaha! Sometimes I like getting to be evil! Hopefully this chapter answers more questions than it asks for you guys. Thanks again to all of those reviewing, following, and reading. It means a lot to us!

* * *

"Okay, let's go over it all from the top. McGee?" Gibbs was glad he'd switched back to his normal coffee from the diner for this. It was Sunday afternoon. The trial was starting the next day and they still didn't have any definitive answers.

"Right, Boss. Thompson was seeing Yasmin Romach. From what we can gather from the emails, Yasmin was afraid to leave her abusive husband, Nisim, despite Thompson's promises to keep her safe. Thirteen months ago, Yasmin goes missing around the same time her email account is first accessed from home, indicating Nisim found out about the affair."

Abby took a sip of her Caf-Pow then handed the cup to McGee as she took over. "That's when Thompson starts missing work, presumably because he's distraught about her disappearance. The detective who investigated Yasmin's disappearance noted that he suspected the husband, but there was no evidence of foul play."

Another pass of the Caf-Pow and McGee was again speaking. "Until nine months ago when Yasmin's body was discovered buried in a vacant lot. COD was blunt trauma to the head. There was no forensic evidence on the remains. Six weeks later, the case is taken out of an active investigation status. Two days after that, the first couple was reported missing."

Ducky flipped open a folder. "According to the autopsies, as each couple was kidnapped, they were drugged heavily. The men were shot, execution style after extensive beatings. The women had little to no physical wounds. They all died due to overdoses of the sedatives after a single act of rape."

Abby shook her head. "Ew. Then comes the part we already knew. Shoshi Kedar escaped. Thompson went after her. Thompson kills Shoshi, Ziva arrests Thompson, Thompson stops talking."

They all sat in silence for a few minutes considering the timeline. It was Palmer who spoke first. "Guys, correct me if I'm wrong, but if you ignore the fact that the couples were all foreign born, what does this look like?"

Ducky's eyes lit up in understanding. "A serial killer. We've all been so focused on the foreign connection that we looked straight past the victimology. I have a friend at the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. I can give him a call and get a second opinion."

Gibbs nodded curtly. Finally, they seemed to be getting somewhere. "Do it. The rest of you, grab a nap."

* * *

_Ziva glanced at the display of her phone as she pulled it from her pocket. The look on her face told Tony the incoming number wasn't one she recognized but she answered it. "Ziva David."_

_Her face paled. "Ori?" Then she said something in Hebrew that he couldn't catch. She didn't know he was taking lessons. He'd actually called his teacher earlier that day to ask for a translation when he'd given a picture to the boy…_

"_Ori? Ori!" Ziva stared at her phone. He could tell the call had ended abruptly._

_Tony pulled his keys from his pocket and reached for the door handle. "Let's go."_

* * *

Ziva lay in bed, having completely given up on the possibility of sleep. If the weight on her mind and heart hadn't been enough to keep her up, the ache in her back would have. Three days of cleaning, sorting, and packing had taken their toll on her body.

She held her breath to listen for a moment as she heard a noise then shook her head. A moment later the bedroom door opened slowly and Ori rounded the bed. Wordlessly he climbed in beside her and she rolled to face him. "Can't sleep either?"

He shook his head as he settled himself on the pillow next to her. "Can you tell me again what is going to happen?"

She reached over to take his hand in hers, squeezing it gently to comfort him. "Tomorrow, Bill is going to come pick us up early in the morning. We are going to drive for a long time. Then we are going to meet on of Bill's friends and get in a different car and drive for a long time again. Then tomorrow night we are going to stay somewhere different. On Tuesday morning I am going to go tell some people about the man that hurt your Ima and Aba. Then we get to go see the judge for your adoption."

She could tell he was sucking on his bottom lip even in the dim light filtering in through the blinds from the moon. Another gentle squeeze of his hand was enough to propel him to ask the question on his mind. "Does that mean you are going to be my Ima?"

"Ori, no one will ever replace your Ima and Aba. But I am going to take care of you. Forever. What you call me is your choice."

Again the boy sucked on his bottom lip, something he did when he was thinking. "I think I want to call you 'Mom', if that is okay?"

Ziva was glad for the darkness as she fought back the tears that welled in her eyes. "That's definitely okay, Pitzl."

* * *

_Ziva could see the figure lying prone on the walk before she was even out of Tony's car. She drew her gun immediately as she hurried forward. Tony was at her side by the time she reached the man. She recognized him as one of Fielding's agents._

_Tony crouched to check for a pulse then looked up at her and shook his head. The distinctive sound of a gunshot from within the building had them both moving forward again. As they entered the building, a resident appeared in the doorway of one of the first floor apartments._

_Ziva pressed her finger to her lips and flashed her badge then pointed back inside the woman's home. She then held her fingers up to indicate a phone and mouthed '9-1-1'. The woman nodded and disappeared back inside._

_Silently she and Tony moved to the stairs. They moved upward as quickly as possible while covering one another, reaching the third floor in under a minute. Fielding was slumped in the wall, bleeding heavily from a wound in the shoulder._

_While she kept her gun trained on the door to apartment 3C, Tony moved to help the FBI agent. From the apartment she could hear a woman crying and she reached for the doorknob._

"_Ziva! Wait for backup. He's already shot two federal agents. Don't let him make it three." Tony's warning was little more than a hiss, but she caught every word._

_A shriek from inside steeled her resolve. "Stay with him. I'm going in."_

_The knob turned easily, the door swinging open to allow her entry. As she scanned the room she could see the signs of a struggle. Her gun leveled in front of her, she made the turn into the hallway to find three closed doors and Ori, pressed against the wall. "__**Where?**__"_

_The child raised a shaky hand to point at the door at the end of the hall. Ziva nodded then used her left hand to push him from the hallway._

_She moved down the hall silently, straining to hear any noise from inside the room Ori had pointed to. She took a deep breath than reached out to open the door._

_Immediately she aimed at the man in the room. He was standing over an unmoving Shoshi Kedar, a syringe in his hand. She could see the gun tucked into his waistband. "Federal Agent. Drop the needle and get on your knees."_

_Everything was a blur after that. Thompson had surrendered quite easily, but hadn't spoken a word. Shoshi had managed to regain consciousness long enough to beg Ziva to take care of Ori before the sedatives caused her heart to fail._

_Gibbs had shown up at some point and taken both her and Ori first to the hospital to be checked over then to his house. Ziva had fought the exhaustion closing in on her successfully until Ori was asleep. Her last memory of that evening was a vague image of Tony laying her down on Gibbs' couch and gently spreading a blanket over her._

* * *

Ziva woke with a start, somewhat surprised to discover she'd actually managed to nod off. Ori's even breathing told her he was still deeply asleep. She relaxed back into the pillow, her mind trying to make sense of the dream she'd had.

In it, she could have sworn Thompson said something. But the words in her head were in Hebrew and that didn't fit. Nothing in his education or employment records indicated he knew any language other than English.

She shook her head to clear it. It was just a dream. Nothing more.

Repositioning her pillow beneath her head, Ziva deliberately evened out her breathing, determined to recapture sleep.

* * *

AN: Okay, seriously, where the flying freak did that come from? The idea about the first bit popped into my head so I decided to jot it down right quick before I forgot it and next thing I know, 90 minutes later, BAM! 1500 word chapter. DONE. Oh crud, it's almost 1am. I better get my butt to bed. Gotta be up at 0700. Will proofread this and upload it tomorrow after work.

MN: Shhh, I'm already in bed. Lee-me lone.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: I just want to take a moment to say that I am floored by the sheer volume of people who are reading this story. Thank you all for your support!

MN: We (okay, I) really want to do a nonsense fluffy little one-shot Tuesday or Thursday (next 2 days off) so send us your prompts and we will pick one or more to write! Now, we know why you're really here so on with the show!

* * *

"Ms. David? Are you okay?" She could tell from the sound of his voice that he had cracked open the door to the ladies room.

Ziva liberally splashed her face with cold water from the faucet before she replied. "I am fine. I will be there in a moment."

She rinsed the taste of bile from her mouth before turning off the tap and drying her face with a handful of paper towels. When she exited the restroom Marshall John Borden was standing just outside the door, Ori at his side. She could see the look of genuine concern on his face and she forced a smile. "Sorry. I know better than to read on the tablet in the car. It makes me sick every time."

She really felt stupid for allowing herself to get sick. She'd discovered the connection between reading on any type of screen and motion sickness years earlier, but she'd really wanted to review her reports from the case before her testimony and Borden hadn't had a paper copy available. So she'd pulled the file up on Ori's Samsung Galaxy tablet while the boy had been playing games on her phone. She hadn't noticed the mild headache and nausea until it had been too late. She was glad they'd managed to find a truck stop and she had gotten to the restroom before she vomited.

The Marshall seemed to accept her response and allowed her to take Ori's hand and lead them both back out into the convenience store. "Do you want anything? Dramamine or some Sprite?"

Ziva shook her head. "Just some water, please. And if you're okay with it, maybe a nap once we're back on the highway? I did not sleep well last night."

To his credit, Borden was a far more relatable man than Nichols. He had even mentioned having a son of his own and was handling the energy of the four year old amicably. "Sure. I figure we'll be at the hotel by 7pm if we keep making good time, so do you just want to wait and order room service for dinner when we get there?"

Her stomach roiled at the very thought of food. Waiting seemed like a wonderful idea. "Sounds good."

Borden looked down to Ori and smiled. "If we're gonna have dinner late, I think we might need some snacks, Bud. Want to help me pick some out?"

The child nodded enthusiastically and the man returned his gaze to Ziva. "Do you want to wait in the car? We can grab you a bottle of water."

Gratefully, she accepted the keys in his outstretched hand. "Thank you." She squeezed Ori's hand before releasing it. "You stay close by John at all times, okay? And juice or milk to drink for you. No soda. And no candy!"

Smiling softly, Borden shooed her toward the door. "I think I've got this under control. We'll be out in a couple of minutes."

As she exited the store, Ziva paused to take a few deep breaths of the crisp air, the action helping calm her stomach before crossing the lot to the sedan Borden had picked them up in.

* * *

"_He's still not talking. It's been a week. I think we have to face facts. We may never know why this guy did what he did. And that means you and Ori could both be in danger."_

_Ziva knew he was right. She wasn't concerned for her own safety, but Ori was just a child with no one else left but her. She couldn't protect him twenty-four hours a day by herself, even now. _

_It had surprised her how willing the team had been to help her care for the boy. During the day he spent time with Abby, Ducky, Palmer, and Dorneget along with a number of other agents. Vance was even taking turns. McGee had found an audio translator app and installed it on a tablet for the boy, allowing him to both communicate with the agents around him and begin learning to speak more English. But it couldn't go on this way forever. Ori's constant presence in the building was a definite stretch of policy. And she didn't like how they had practically taken over Gibbs' home._

"_Ziva?"_

_She realized her mind had been wandering and brought her full attention back to her teammate. "Sorry, what?"_

"_I said that homeland is officially going to start processing his protective custody paperwork on Monday. That's as much time as Vance could buy you. So you have until then to decide. And Ziva?"_

_For the first time since he'd pulled her to the edge of the bullpen she took her eyes from where Ori was playing and looked at him. "Yes?"_

"_For what it's worth, I think you should do it." If he could see the surprise on her face, he didn't show it. "Going into WitSec with him is what would keep you safe. And I think he needs you more than we do. So if I'm not being selfish, I think you should do it."_

_She laid a hand on his shoulder, more to comfort herself than him. "Thank you, McGee."_

* * *

Tony didn't bother to look up as yet another pile of files was dropped on his desk. With the rest of his team suspiciously absent, Vance had delegated him to reviewing files. He knew it was meant to keep him busy while punishing him at the same time.

It wasn't like no one else had ever lost their cool with a local detective before. The only reason he was in trouble at all is that the man had friends in high places and created a fuss about it. And when Vance got heat, he passed it downhill.

"Agent DiNozzo?"

His eyes snapped up from the open folder on his desk and came to rest on the younger man standing before him. "What is it, Dorneget?"

He held out a bag. "Thought you might be hungry. I noticed you didn't leave for lunch so I brought you back a sandwhich."

Tony's look softened and he forced a smile at Dorneget. "Thanks. Actually, I'm starving." He accepted the bag and peered inside.

"No problem. And Agent DiNozzo?" Dorneget waited until Tony looked back up. "If you need to talk, you know where to find me."

* * *

"_Do you know how weird it is to me for Gibbs' door to be locked?"_

_Ziva wasn't startled at his voice. She'd heard him coming around the side of the house. Then again, he obviously hadn't been trying for stealth. "It is weird for me as well."_

_He moved next to her to lean against the porch rail with her. "Guys out front said he's not here."_

_She kept her gaze on the clouds. Emotionally speaking, she was hanging by a thread. She'd actually come out here to let herself lose control for a moment, but she couldn't do that in front of him. "He said there were things he needed to take care of. Won't be back until tomorrow afternoon. I am grateful for the space."_

_His weight shifted. "Do you want me to go?"_

_Finally she looked over at him. "No." She held his gaze for a moment before returning her eyes to the sky. "Why are you here, Tony?"_

"_Because I needed to talk to you. It feels like we haven't had a conversation since that night."_

_With a sigh she shoved herself upright and wandered out into the back yard. "You came to talk me out of it?"_

_She hadn't realized how closely he had followed her until he gently grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn toward him. "No, Ziva. I came to talk you into it."_

* * *

AN: Wish that could have been just a little longer but I was having trouble focusing tonight so this was all I had time for. More on Tuesday.

MN: Just remember folks, I have absolutely no part in all this angst. But that cute moment with McGee, that was me. It was the only concession to fluff I could get from her today.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: This chapter isn't one that we really know what to do with. There needs to be something here to move the story to the next part that IS in our brains, but we're not sure what. So we're kind of flying by the seat of our pants on this one.

MN: Maybe, since she doesn't know what to do, I can sneak some fluff in on this one without her realizing it.

* * *

Vaguely, Ziva registered that the car had slowed down. That had to mean they were no longer on the highway. She forced her eyes open and tried to figure out where they were.

"We're a little north of Gaithersburg. The little guy needs a pit stop."

Ziva nodded and reached for her bottle of water. Several long sips rinsed the cotton ball feeling from her mouth. As she returned it to the cup holder, she noticed the time. It was just after 1800 hours. She had been asleep for two and a half hours. "Thank you both for letting me rest."

She turned to look at Ori in the back sleep. "Were you good for John?"

Ori nodded enthusiastically. "Yes!"

"He was great. He's a good kid." Borden pulled the car into a parking space outside a convenience store and shifted into park. As he reached for his seatbelt Ziva shook her head.

"I can take him."

"Alright. I should call and check in with the team at the hotel anyway."

* * *

_Ziva was completely stunned by what he had said. "You want me to leave?"_

"_No. But I want you to be safe. I'd rather you be protected away from me then in danger with me."_

_She could see the pain it caused him to say that. "You don't think I'd be safe if I sent him away?"_

_Tony shook his head. "I don't know. But I know he's safer with you than without you. And as much as I'd like to believe that we could protect you, I know the Marshalls can do it better."_

_His hand was still on her arm and she raised her hand to grasp it. "You know, McGee told me pretty much the same thing."_

_She could tell his smile was forced. "Smart kid, that McGenius. What'd Gibbs say?"_

"_He didn't. He told me it was my choice and whatever I decided he would support me."_

"_And have you? Decided, I mean." She couldn't read the look on his face. His emotions seemed to be as jumbled as hers._

"_Yes. The Marshall Service will be at NCIS to pick us up Monday morning."_

_They stood together in silence for a moment then his hand tightened around her arm and he pulled her against him. His arms wrapped around her tightly and she felt something inside of her snap. The emotions she had been holding back all week came rushing out and she was powerless to stop the tears._

* * *

Abby popped to her feet as McGee exited the office he and Gibbs had been ensconced in for several hours. "Well?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. They are waiting for her handler to get here before they make the final call. They kept mentioning that there were extenuating circumstances. Gibbs wants us to get back to his place and do some digging. We managed to weasel it out of them that Ori's adoption is being processed tomorrow while they're in town. He wants someone to be there. He doesn't trust the Marshalls to tell her."

She fell into step beside him as they moved down the hallway. "Let me guess, we don't know what time, or what judge?"

"Exactly. We'll stop for Caf-Pows on the way. This may be a long night."

* * *

Ziva smiled as Ori went barreling into the room in front of her. This was only the second time the boy had ever stayed in a hotel and this one was far more elegant than the motel they had slept at when they entered the program.

As she looked around, she realized that 'room' wasn't an accurate description. It was a suite. From the hallway they had entered to a living room, complete with couch, armchairs, and TV. There was even a small kitchenette to one side with a dining table. Three closed doors lined the outside of the room. Two bedrooms and a bathroom if she had to guess.

A pair of Marshalls was waiting for them and she shook their hands as Borden introduced them. As Ori explored, the four adults moved to the sitting area. Ziva sat in one chair, the two new Marshalls resumed their positions on the couch, and Borden remained standing.

"There will be two Marshalls in the room at all times. Another in the lobby, one in the garage, and two in the lounge. I know Ori's excited but he has to stay in the room. I have to go to a last minute meeting. Why don't you guys order dinner and relax? I may be late getting back here. We'll be leaving at 8am sharp for the courthouse. Ori will stay here with a pair of Marshalls and they will meet us at the courthouse after your testimony. We'll finalize the adoption and come back here. You'll have enough time to shower and change and pack back up before you're transferred to a new handler for relocation."

At her nod of understanding, Borden excused himself, exiting the room. She looked to where Ori was, staring out the door to the balcony. "Come on, Pitzl. Let's decide what to get for dinner."

* * *

_He had held her close as she cried and for a while after. They were still standing out in Gibbs' back yard when it started to rain, but he still hadn't moved. Not until she pulled back from him. She didn't meet his eyes as she turned toward the house, but she did take his hand, leading him in behind her._

_Once inside, he had shucked his soggy shoes and socks. When he'd looked at her, she shook her head. "Tony, you are soaked. Let me find you something of Gibbs' to wear and we'll put your clothes in the dryer."_

_Which is how he had come to be sitting on Gibbs' couch, a beer in his hand, wearing a pair of USMC shorts and a faded NIS t-shirt. Ziva had gone to shower but was now sitting next to him, also sipping on a beer. They hadn't spoken in twenty minutes. He decided it was up to him to break the silence._

"_We won't stop looking, you know. For answers. For a way to bring you home."_

_She didn't turn to look at him but reached over and slid her hand into his. "I know. I just hope you can find one."_

_He squeezed her hand gently. "Me too. I'm gonna miss you, Zi."_

_He could see the emotions welling up inside of her again. "I will miss you too."_

_He couldn't bear to see her cry again so, in his typical fashion, he decided to make a joke. "And if you ever tell McGee I said this, I will hunt you down. I'm gonna miss the kid too."_

_A small smile twitched at her lips. "I know he will miss you all as well. You've all been so good with him. But he talks about you a lot. More than the others."_

_Her revelation made his heart ache. He had made it sound joking, but he really had become fond of Ori and was going to miss him dearly. "We bonded. We have something pretty big in common."_

_Finally she turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised in question. "Oh?"_

"_Yeah, we're both pretty crazy about you."_

* * *

"Porca vacca! I thought I told you not to be here when I got home?" Tony slammed the door behind himself, not caring that the action probably sent his upstairs neighbor's cat careening through her apartment.

His father walked out of the kitchen, a dishrag over his shoulder, shaking his head. "And I'm pretty sure I told you I'd stay until I thought you didn't need me anymore. Now why don't you go wash up? Maybe change. You've got about fifteen minutes until dinner, Junior."

Tony stalked to his bedroom and slammed that door behind himself as well. He pitched his jacket unceremoniously in the general direction of the closet and flopped on his bed. He'd only laid there for a moment before he reached into his pants pocket and extracted his wallet.

Carefully he pulled the precisely folded picture from within the leather and opened it. It was a picture he wasn't supposed to have. When Homeland had confiscated everything relating to the case, they'd taken the digital file too. But he'd already had it printed.

Gingerly he used his sleeve to wipe away a smudge and he choked back the tears welling in his eyes. He wasn't sure why the picture meant so much to him. It wasn't planned, something Abby had found 'adorable' and snapped with her cell phone. It showed Tony, sitting on Gibbs' couch. A sleepy Ori was in his lap holding a book Ducky had given him and Ziva was leaned against his side so she could see to read it to him. In it, they almost looked like a family.

A family he had failed. When Homeland had swooped in he had tried to resist the orders to leave the case alone. So had the others at first. But then the agent in charge had threatened to arrest him and Gibbs put a stop to the investigation. She had been gone six months and it felt like forever. How was he supposed to handling knowing she would never be able to come home?

A knock on the door shook him from his thoughts. "Junior, dinner!"

* * *

AN: Holy angst batman! Now, I am going to go ahead and find somewhere to hide because when JenJen reads how we left things with Tony and Ziva, she is going to want to hunt us down and kill us. But seriously, we may have cut it short but it was some good fluff!

MN: It was definitely good fluff (cause, ya know, **I **wrote it) and it set up the next bit perfectly. But AJ's right. JenJen is going to want us dead for how we left it. I think I'm gonna go ahead and just lock myself up in my cage….

**Translations:**

**Porca vacca!: **pretty much means 'dammit!' in Italian.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: You should all be happy to know I am still alive. This chapter will have another big old fluffy chunk in it because I think Bastian may just keel over if I don't let him write it. But once again I am choosing where to cut him off. Which means I may have to go into hiding once again.

MN: YAY! I have had this particular scene in my head since we were writing Chapter 2. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

* * *

Ziva heard the murmur of voices in the living room. Borden was back from his meeting. Quietly, she slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb the boy sleeping beside her. Originally he had started in the other bed, but he hadn't been able to fall asleep. She couldn't blame him, really. She hadn't been able to even come close to sleep herself, even long after she'd allowed him to climb in bed with her.

She opened the bedroom door and came face to face with Borden, his hand out. He had obviously been reaching to knock on the door. He took a step back and she exited the room, pulling the door shut softly behind her.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but we need to talk."

She crossed to the sitting area and curled herself into one of the armchairs. "I was not asleep. What's going on?"

He perched himself on the arm of the couch closest to her and shot a look to the other Marshalls. Wordlessly they stood and exited into the other bedroom. He waited until the door was closed before he spoke. "I'm sorry I have to dump this on you all at once, but once my Chief makes his decision you aren't going to be given any time to make yours. Some new information has surfaced on Thompson. It indicates that he was a serial killer, not a terrorist. Which means that you and Ori might not be in any danger at all. The Chief had a lot of information thrown his way tonight so he wants to sleep on it. He's not completely convinced that there's no threat. But, I think, he's going to leave the choice up to you."

Ziva struggled to comprehend what he was saying to her. "Choice?"

"To stay in the program or go back to your old life. Now before you decide, I want to make sure I give you all of the facts. If you leave the program, that means you lose the pull the Marshall's Service has on the family court judge. It'll be the same judge but he'll have your real file, not the one we created for you. And I've been assured that your position at NCIS is still available to you should you want it."

There was a soft knock at the door to the suite and Borden stood and crossed to it. From where she sat she couldn't see who was on the other side, only the file box that was handed through the opening before the door was once again closed and he returned to sit beside her, the box getting set on the couch beside him.

"I got your team to make copies of everything they found. I figure you have a right to know everything if the decision is going to be left up to you."

Her eyes had been focused on the box but now raised to his face. "My team?"

His smile was soft. "Yeah. They're the ones that figured it all out. Then blackmailed their way into the Chief's office so they could talk to him. Pretty determined, I heard. A guy named Gibbs apparently threatened a secretary with allowing someone named McGee to hack her computer and schedule themselves an appointment, and, when she didn't relent, he did it. From a smartphone. In under two minutes."

She laughed automatically. That definitely sounded like Gibbs and McGee.

"One part of the story I don't believe though. The secretary swears some tall skinny goth chick was with them, claiming to be part of the team."

Ziva shook her head with another chuckle. "I'm sure it's true. That would be our forensic scientist."

Borden's eyes widened. "Wow." They lapsed into silence for a moment and he stood. "Well, why don't we take this stuff over to the table and give it a going over?"

* * *

_A sound by the stairs interrupted her before she could figure out how to reply. When she turned, Ori was standing at the bottom of the stairs, clutching his bear to his chest with both arms._

"_**What are you doing up? It's late.**__" Her voice was soft and she wasn't trying to chide him._

_His voice was barely above a whisper. "__**I had a scary dream.**__"_

_She moved to stand but Tony beat her to it, crossing the room and scooping the child into his arms. "__**It's okay. Do you want a drink of water?**__"_

_She stared, shocked into silence as he took Ori to the kitchen for his drink. When they returned the boy was looking decidedly sleepy._

"_**Can you read me a story, Tony?**__"_

_Her partner smiled at the boy. __**"We'll need Ziva's help.**__" He looked to her. "Haven't gotten the reading thing down yet. Give me a hand?"_

_She returned his gentle smile and nodded. "Yes." She stood and crossed the room, following them up the stairs._

_She watched as Tony gently laid the child back in bed then stretched out beside him. "__**Ready?**__"_

_Ori nodded and reached for the book on the nightstand. "__**Ready.**__"_

_She rounded the bed to the opposite side, sitting next to Ori. He handed her the book then reached for Tony's hand. Ziva opened the book and began reading, almost from memory. Her mother had read __Maase Be-Chamisha Balonim to her when she was a child. "__**A Tale of Five Balloons**__…"_

* * *

"What do you mean you've been summoned to testify?"

Abby's voice was shrill in his ears and McGee fought the urge to wince. "Both Gibbs and I. We had to release the new information to the lawyers and the prosecutor decided he wants us on the stand. We're scheduled up after Ziva. Which means you need to handle the adoption hearing."

The black clad woman was pacing the hallway in front of him. "So does that mean Chief 'What's His Face' hasn't made a decision yet?"

McGee reached out and took her by the arms, forcing her to stop and focus on him. "Actually he has. He's leaving it up to her. But she doesn't know that yet. Your mission is to make sure she's got all of the facts."

She nodded fervently. "Got it."

Gibbs appeared through a door in the hall and crooked his head at McGee. "Abby, I have to go. Make sure Ziva knows, okay?"

"I promise."

* * *

_By the time she was through the story, the boy was soundly asleep. Silently she and Tony stood and exited the room. He followed her down the stairs and she stopped as she reached the bottom, turning to face him. "You are learning Hebrew?"_

_He reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "A little."_

_Every time she would think she had him figured out, he would surprise her. "Why?"_

_"__**For you.**__" He'd spoken to her in her native tongue before, but only a single phrase at a time. And that had felt rehearsed. Now the words seemed to flow more naturally, like he actually understood them._

_"__**I don't understand.**__" What could have possessed him to try to learn a whole new language when she spoke his just fine?_

_He stepped closer to her, his eyes locked on hers. "__**Because, I love you.**__"_

_She felt something shift in her chest and before she could stop herself she was pressing her lips to his. _

* * *

The look on Ziva's face had been different when she'd returned to the stand after the midmorning recess and Abby was sure she had been told that the decision about her future was now in her hands. She was also sure she knew what Ziva had decided. As the prosecutor began walking her through Thompson's capture, Abby stood and moved out of the courtroom, her cell phone already in hand.

In the hall she brought the small device to hear ear and waited as she hear first one ring, then a second.

"Palmer."

"Jimmy, it's Abby! I think I might need backup. I don't have time to explain but get down here. Bring Ducky too. And Tony if you can. And hurry!"

She barely waited for him to confirm his understanding before she disconnected and resumed her earlier pacing.

* * *

AN: I am going to try my damnedest to get the next chapter up tomorrow, but I also want to finish my Criminal Minds oneshot and maybe write a post ep for the season finale there, plus Tel Nok Shock planted an idea in my head that is spinning itself into a nice McAbby fic. I guess I'm just gonna go ahead and get up early and spend the whole day writing.

MN: Oh, she WILL be writing the next chapter tomorrow. Cause I want to write the FLUFF for the next chapter tomorrow!


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I finally get to write the bit that's been in _my_ head since Chapter 2. I am going to try like hell to get this up today and maybe at least start on the next chapter because I have 3 long days in a row at work starting tomorrow (for the 3 busiest days of the week) so I don't know if I'll be conscious enough to write again until Monday after the family's Memorial Day BBQ. For reasons that will become rather obvious, we formatted the rotation of timelines and points of view just a little differently in this chapter.

MN: I know I was complaining about wanting to write fluffy one shots, but AJ and I have come to an agreement. Today we will work on this and one of Tel Nok Shock's oneshot prompts. Our CM oneshot is getting rather lengthy so we're going to put it on the back burner for the day. If we manage to get this and TNS's story done, we're going to start on Chapter 10 of this.

* * *

Abby practically ran to Palmer and Ducky as they appeared in the hallway where she waited. She looked over their shoulders then make eye contact with Palmer.

"Sorry, Abby. We couldn't find him. He wasn't any of the places he usually is and he's not answering his phone."

Ducky shook his head. "We even called his home phone but his father answered and said that he had left for work as usual this morning."

She nodded glumly. "Thanks for trying. But anyway, I think they already started so we need to get in there!"

* * *

Tony glanced at the screen as he silenced his ringing cell phone once again. This time the display showed his own home phone number instead of 'Palmer', 'Ducky', or 'Autopsy' as it had for the last hour. Great, now his coworkers were enlisting his father in their attempts to track him down.

As he shoved the phone back in his pocket he shifted. A concrete floor wasn't the most comfortable place to have been sitting all day, but now that he was here, he couldn't seem to bring himself to leave.

He had come here fairly often after she had first left, but at some point, the memories became too painful and he had stopped. He was actually surprised when he'd gotten here and the storage unit wasn't empty. He had assumed that by now the Marshalls would have collected the rest of her belongings to deliver to her, wherever she was.

When it really came down to it, he didn't really care why her property was still in the storage unit he and Gibbs had moved it to. Right now what he cared about was that the blanket in his lap still smelled like her and he was surrounded by all of her favorite things and it made him feel close to her. For now, that was the best it was going to get.

* * *

Ziva shifted in her seat. It was becoming a struggle not to start tapping her foot impatiently as the judge read over the file. He had only been handed the updated information as she had entered the courtroom. Because of her original status as a protected witness, the courtroom had been cleared before her arrival. She knew that by now the Marshalls that had been guarding the door had been recalled, but no one would have a reason to come in anyway. With only herself, Judge Williams, a guard, and a representative from children's services in the room, it was eerily quiet. So quiet, in fact, that she could hear the breathing of the woman across the aisle.

Finally, Williams raised his head, his gaze settling on the social worker. "Miss Jones, is there anything you care to add to your notes in the file?"

The woman nodded. "Yes, Your Honor. After I wrote my assessment I did have the opportunity to sit down with the child. I have to say, talking to him did ease my concerns quite a bit. He seems to be very well adjusted at this time. He is speaking fairly fluent English, talked about starting Kindergarten in the fall, and referred to Ms. David as 'Mom'. While I stand behind my other concerns, I am no longer worried about the depth of the relationship between Ms. David and Ori."

The judge nodded as she spoke and glanced back down at the file. "Thank you. I think I might like to speak to the boy as well. Would you please go get him?"

"Yes, Your Honor." With a brief glance in Ziva's direction, the woman crossed the room and exited into the labyrinth of hallways and rooms behind the courtroom.

She shifted again as he looked to her. He removed his reading glasses, laying them on the wood in front of him. "Ms. David, you're sure you don't want to wait to do this? To consult an attorney?"

She shook her head. "No, Your Honor."

"Alright. In that case, let me express my concerns. And I do have several, Ms. David. Probably the largest question in my mind is how you feel you can raise not one but two children working the hours of a Federal agent, by yourself?"

At his words she reflexively brought a hand to rest on her bulging abdomen. She opened her mouth to reply, but the judge continued speaking.

"You have no family. You aren't married. From what I am reading in your file, you haven't even been in a steady relationship in years. I'm not sure of your abilities to provide the kind of nurturing environment a child needs to your own baby, let alone Ori. You're due in three months and, at the moment, you don't even have somewhere to live. What makes you think that you can do this completely alone?"

Once again she opened her mouth, and once again she was cut off, this time by a voice behind her. "She isn't alone!"

Ziva turned toward the voice, he jaw dropping when she saw Abby moving up the aisle, Palmer and Ducky following behind.

"Who, exactly, are you?"

Abby pushed through the swinging gate that served as a barrier between herself and the front of the courtroom as she answered the judge's question. "We're her family. Part of it anyway."

Ducky placed a hand on Abby's shoulder to quiet her and stepped forward. "Your Honor, Donald Mallard. May I have a moment of your time?"

Williams shook his head in obvious surrender. "As long as you explain what is going on and who you people are, you may have two."

"Thank you. What my dear Ms. Sciuto was trying to say is that Ms. David will not be raising any children alone. We are her friends and colleagues. We're close enough to consider one another as family. And we support her completely."

The judge's face softened at Ducky's words and he shifted his gaze back to Ziva. "None of that was in your file. Tell me more about this support structure. I'm willing to consider it." He flipped a few pages in the file in front of him, seemingly looking for the information about her team.

Ziva was now flanked by her friends, Abby having settled into the chair next to her. As she drew in a breath the young woman's hand reached over and squeezed hers. "I don't have any blood relatives left. But I have found a new family. Ducky, Dr. Mallard, is like the grandfather I never got to know. He's wise and kind and gives me honest advice."

"Agent Gibbs, can come across as gruff, but in reality he's been more of a father to me in the last eight years then my real father ever was. He doesn't show it much but he has a big heart and he protects the people he cares about above all else."

"Abby, she reminds me so much of my little sister. Despite what we see on cases she is a shining light in my life. She always finds the good in the world and shares it with everyone she can."

"And McGee and Palmer, they only know how to love with their whole hearts. They commit themselves completely to both their jobs and their loved ones. I wish they really could have been my brothers. And Jimmy's wife, Breena, she has become part of our little family too. She accepts us all for who we are and what we mean to him."

While she was talking, Palmer and Ducky had both placed a warm hand on one of her shoulders. Now, as she waited for the judge to respond she focused on their hands to keep herself from crying.

"And what about Agent DiNozzo? You didn't mention him. He's listed here as your partner."

She had skipped any mention him intentionally but now she didn't have a choice.

* * *

_He returned her kiss, tangling his tongue with her own for a moment before abruptly pulling back. "Ziva, this is a bad idea."_

_She nodded in agreement. "It is. But if I am leaving, I don't want there to be anything left in the dark between us, Tony. __**I love you**__."_

_For as long as she'd been trying to figure out if it was true, the ease with which the words slipped from her in Hebrew confirmed it. Before she could gauge his reaction his mouth was back on hers._

_There was a fire in his kiss that matched her own consuming need. She lost herself so completely in his taste and touch that when she realized they were in the bedroom she'd been staying in she wasn't even sure how they'd gotten there._

_When she felt his fingers brush the bare skin below the fabric of her t-shirt the sensation resulted in goose bumps and she groaned against his mouth. Once again he pulled back, his eyes locking on hers. "God, Ziva, I want you. But if you're not sure, please tell me now or I won't be able to walk away."_

_In simple answer, Ziva stepped back and grasped the hem of her shirt then pulled it over her head._

* * *

Tony glanced down at the screen of his phone. Great, now he had a text from McGee to accompany the four phone calls in the last three minutes. He opened it and sighed at the simple message.

*Rule 3. Never be unreachable.*

Almost immediately the phone rang again and he answered it. "Yeah."

"Where are you? You know what, it doesn't matter. You need to get here. Now."

Tony was confused. He didn't even know where McGee was. "Where is here and why do I need to be there?"

"The courthouse in Arlington. She's out of the program. Which means she's in the middle of trying to finalize a single parent adoption without the pull of the Marshall's service. Gibbs is testifying at Thompson's trial and I'm next. We sent Abby to help her. She called in Ducky and Palmer for backup but no one can find you."

His words had Tony jumping to his feet. He hurried to close and lock the storage unit, glad he was barely twenty minutes from the courthouse plaza. "I'm on my way. I'll be there in fifteen."

He turned to run down the hall but froze halfway to the exit at McGee's next words. "Tony, there's something you've got to know. She's pregnant."

* * *

AN: Okay, this really isn't where we were gonna leave this but if we kept going it was gonna be really freaking long so we shall keep working on what was gonna be the rest of this chapter to be the first part of the next chapter.

MN: So, mark this day on your calendars. That angsty Tony/Timmy bit at the end? That was actually MY doing. I know, freaky.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Death threats do not assist me in writing any faster folks! Kidding. But seriously, I promise that there is more squish and less angst in this chapter. And I think we're getting on toward done. There will be at least one more chapter before we wrap it up. For once, I think I've got in mind what I'm doing for the Epilogue and I hope you guys like it!

MN: We got up a fluffy bit of a oneshot called Sodden if you guys need a McAbby break from all this Tiva. That being said, SHHHHH fluff!

* * *

_Tony watched as Ziva ran around Gibbs' backyard with Ori and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. She was amazing with him. He'd always assumed she would make a wonderful mother but her interaction with the boy confirmed it._

_He felt his boss's presence before he saw him. "You know this is a bad idea, right?"_

_He didn't have to ask what Gibbs was talking about. "Probably the worst I've ever had. But it's what she wants, what she thinks she needs. And for the next two days, I can give it to her; so I will."_

"_What happens when she leaves?"_

_Tony shrugged. "I work like hell to find a way to bring her home."_

"_**Come play, Tony!**__" Ori was beckoning to him from across the yard._

_He shot one more look at his boss then trotted across the grass to the boy._

* * *

Tony skidded to a stop outside the courtroom door and took a moment to catch his breath. He opened the door as little as he needed in order to slip through, doing his best to remain silent.

He couldn't see Ziva. Ducky and Palmer were standing behind her. Abby was sitting at her side. The sound of his name drew his eyes to the judge.

"And what about Agent DiNozzo? You didn't mention him. He's listed here as your partner."

Ziva's voice was quiet and he could hear that she was holding back tears as she spoke. "Tony is my best friend. He's always been there for me, always done whatever it took to remind me that he cares. He makes me laugh and lets me cry. He's risked his life and his career for me more times than I can count. He pushes me when I need pushed and supports me when I'm ready to crumble. He's exactly the kind of man that I would want Ori to grow up to be."

Tony was most of the way up the aisle now, standing just behind the gate when her next words froze him in his tracks.

"And I know, no matter what, he will be there for Ori, and his daughter."

"Daughter?"

Five sets of eyes turned toward him but Tony only cared about the dark brown pair peeking out between Ducky and Palmer.

The judge sighed at the interruption. Tony ignored him and stepped forward through the gate. Ducky and Palmer moved to the side allowing him to stand next to Ziva's chair. She nodded as she looked up at him.

"_Our_ daughter?" He sank down to his knees beside her, tears stinging at his eyes.

"Yes, Tony." A tear slid down her cheek and he reached up to brush it away. She caught his hand and brought it down to her stomach.

After a long moment the judge cleared his throat loudly and Tony reluctantly looked toward the man.

"Agent DiNozzo, I presume? Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but we are in the middle of a court proceeding here."

Tony nodded and stood. Abby rose from the chair next to Ziva and he took it, immediately grasping her hand in his.

* * *

_Tony shut the door to Ori's room and returned to the living room, expecting to find Ziva on the couch where he left her. What he found instead was Gibbs sitting there, a familiar backpack at his feet._

"_Thought you might need a change of clothes if you're staying, DiNozzo."_

_Tony stared at him a moment. He knew Gibbs had left for the office after dinner, but the fact that the man retrieved his backup clothes from his desk surprised him. "Uhhh, I didn't know I was staying, Boss."_

_Gibbs lifted a glass to his lips, sipping the amber liquid it contained. "Like you said, it's what she wants. So you stay."_

_He drained his glass and stood, moving into the kitchen. Tony heard the cup being set in the sink then the sound of Gibbs trudging down into the basement._

* * *

McGee nearly collided with Abby as he and Gibbs rounded the corner. She was standing with Ducky and Palmer. A short way down the hall stood Tony, his arms wrapped around Ziva and her head against his shoulder.

"Abbs?"

The single word from Gibbs spurred Abby into a frenzy. "He's talking to Ori now but he said he isn't going to make his decision until tomorrow because it's a lot of information to think about. Tony got here just in time. We had the judge on the fence but I'm pretty sure Tony showing up tipped things in our favor."

Gibbs nodded curtly and walked back the way he came, hauling his cell phone from his pocket.

McGee glanced back up at his partners. "And how are they?"

Abby shrugged. "I dunno. They haven't really spoken. Like at all. I mean, like five words between them in the courtroom but dead silence since we came out. But he hasn't let go of her since he touched her when he came in."

"It's a lot to take in. For both of them."

He was surprised when it was Palmer who commented. "They're strong. I don't think there's anything they can't get through together."

The rest of the group nodded in agreement then slipped into silence. What felt like an eternity later a door opened and Ori came out with a woman who McGee could only assume was a social worker. The moment the boy saw Tony he broke free from the woman and raced toward him.

As the rest of the group moved toward the couple, Tony turned from Ziva for the first time since McGee had gotten there, crouching down to scoop up the boy and hug him tightly. He was babbling excitedly, McGee noted, in English and Tony smiled down at him. "Slow down buddy. We'll have time to talk later."

The social worker was holding a file and she approached Ziva. "Ms. David, Judge Williams says he will read his decision at 9am tomorrow. I need to know where you and Ori will be staying tonight, for the record."

"With me." McGee was no longer surprised at his boss's ability to approach without making a sound, nor was he shocked at the assumption that Ziva and Ori would be staying with him.

Gibbs issued the woman his address, phone numbers, and business card then summarily dismissed her. The team fell into a heavy silence.

The quiet didn't last long, interrupted by the intrepid preschooler still perched in Tony's arms. "Is it almost lunchtime now? I am hungry!"

Tony chuckled and shifted the boy to his hip, using his newly freed hand to reach for Ziva's. "You betcha, Buddy. What do you want?"

"Pizza!"

Tony laughed again at the emphatic response. "Can Ducky and Abby and Jimmy and McGee and Gibbs come too?"

Ori nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah!"

With that declaration the team started down the hall toward the doors.

* * *

AN: I know it's a little on the short side, but I wanted to go ahead and get it up before a certain JenJen murders me. But seriously, I don't know if I will get up the next chapter before Monday with my work schedule for the next few days. Also, I only gave this a half assed going over cause it's past my bedtime so pardon any mistakes.

MN: Oh the fluffy, squee, squishy, cuteness of it all! Tonight, I sleep a very happy muse!


	11. Chapter 11

AN: I know I said Monday for this, but please let me explain. Sunday morning, Ms. JenJen decided to text me and tell me she was packing a bag, hopping in the car, and driving the 5-6 hours from her house to mine. So by the time I was out of work, she was here. So Monday morning, instead of writing, I hung out with my bestie. And it was very worth it.

MN: I got to see our JenJen. No arguments from me here since she and AJ's mom and I ganged up on her!

* * *

Tony descended the stairs and was surprised when he entered a nearly empty living room. When he'd gone up to put Ori to bed, the small room had been filled with his friends, all happily catching up with Ziva, the 'family' patriarch keeping watch from a chair in the corner.

After lunch they had gone back to the office. There were formalities that had needed taken care of, including the processing of both Ziva's 'Return to Duty' and 'Temporary Adaptation of Duty' forms. The paperwork had taken significantly longer than necessary due to the number of people dropping by to welcome their colleague home.

Once they'd finally all managed to wrap things up at the office, the group had invaded another restaurant for dinner, this time joined by the Director and his children. Then the pack had travelled to Gibbs's home, save for the Vances, to continue their conversations.

Through it all, he had been at her side, but they had hardly spoken. What he wanted to say to her was best left for private and that wasn't a luxury they had been afforded yet. So he'd stayed close to her, making sure both she and Ori had everything they needed and pretending to acknowledge the congratulations on his impending fatherhood he received from those around him.

Now, however, things were quiet at Gibbs' home and the living room was abandoned save for the home's owner himself. "Where is everyone, Boss?"

The older shrugged casually. "Sent 'em home. Ziver looked like she was getting tired and I think you two probably need to talk."

Gibbs stood and Tony noticed that the bag of clothes from his trunk had made its way into the house. His surrogate father shouldered his own bag and Tony hitched an eyebrow upward. "Where are _you_ going?"

Once again Gibbs shrugged. "Someone has to keep an eye on Anthony Senior. Don't want him tangled up in another murder investigation."

With that the man was gone, exiting his own house, leaving Tony to figure out what to do next on his own.

* * *

_He hadn't slept, though he hadn't really expected to. In just over four hours she would be being taken away from him and he didn't know if he was ever going to get her back. That thought alone was going to have him lying awake for nights to come._

_She stirred slightly in her sleep and a lock of hair fell across her face. He brushed it back, gently tucking it behind her ear before he went back to simply watching her. Just a few days ago they had been doing the same dance they had been for eight years and now, she was naked next to him in bed, the distinctive smell of their lovemaking still hanging on the hair._

_And tomorrow she would be gone. Gibbs' concerns popped into his head. He had absolutely no idea how he was going to go on without her, but he knew he had to. He had to find a way to bring her back. Without that on the horizon, he didn't have much left._

_This time when she stirred her eyes fluttered opened, blinking sleepily several times before connecting with his. "What time is it, Tony?"_

"_Around 0500. Go back to sleep." He pressed a kiss to her forehead, but felt her head shake beneath his lips._

"_No. I did not mean to fall asleep at all. I want to spend the last few hours that I am able to with you." Her voice cracked, but he pretended not to notice. The last thing he wanted for the little time they had left was for her to feel self-conscious or weak._

_He pulled back to look at her once again. "Okay, my ninja, what would you like to do?"_

_After a moment of hesitation she pressed her lips to his. The action was tender. Bittersweet. It made him feel whole and broke his heart all in one instant. In that same instant, he knew this memory would cause his chest to ache later, but if she needed to feel connected to him one last time, he would make love to her again. This time, however, he wouldn't let the frenzied passion of the last few nights to creep in. This time he intended to be gentle and tender. This time he would make sure she could have no doubt as to exactly how he felt about her._

* * *

The sound of footsteps behind him had Tony turning from the door to the staircase. Ziva was standing there. She had obviously gone to change while he'd been reading to Ori and was now in shorts and an oversized t-shirt. "You were upstairs for a while. Did you have trouble getting him to go to bed?"

He shook his head as he reached out to take her hand in his to lead her to the couch. "No. He only made it a couple of pages into the story. I just stayed for a bit to make sure he was okay. That he wasn't going to wake up."

When they sat, she leaned into his side, curling herself up against him. He wrapped his arm around her and his free hand sought out one of hers as she once again spoke. "He really missed you."

A strange pain jabbed at his chest at the thought of Ori being lonely, especially for him. "I missed him too. I missed both of you."

Her head lifted from his shoulder and he turned to look at her. Her eyes were shining with the effort of holding back tears and her pain suddenly propelled him to action. He barely had to lean into her for his lips to find hers in a gentle but expressive kiss.

He held his mouth against hers for a long moment before shifting and bringing his forehead into contact with hers, freeing his mouth to speak. "I don't have a clue what I'm doing here, Zi. You've got to help me out. What do you need me to do?"

At this point tears were trickling down his own cheeks, matching those he knew were on hers from the sound of her voice. "I need to you be honest, Tony. I've had months to think about everything. To figure out what I want, for myself and for Ori and the baby. But you've had twelve hours. What's running through your head? What do you want?"

He jerked backward to lock his eyes with hers. He needed her to know he was being completely truthful. "There's a million things running through my head, but I can figure that out later. What I want is easy. I want you, and our daughter, and Ori. I want my family. You and I, we can figure everything out as long as we're doing it together. If that's what you want."

He knew the last sentence had come out as more of a question, and it left him open and vulnerable in a raw way that would have made him uncomfortable if he were talking to anyone else. But this was Ziva, and he trusted her more than anyone else on the planet.

"Tony, I want the same thing I've wanted for a long time. I want a family. And I want you to be part of it. A big part."

Her words released a tightness in his chest he hadn't even noticed and he crushed his mouth back to hers in a much more intense kiss than the one he had given her just minutes before.

* * *

_Her heart was aching. She had said her farewells to everyone else. Now, she had to say goodbye to Tony._

_Suddenly, Ziva felt like she had so much more she needed to tell him. Things she didn't want anyone else overhearing. As he walked toward her in the lobby of the NCIS headquarters, she suddenly started doubting her decision._

_As always, however, Tony seemed to know exactly what it was she needed and gave it to her. Instead of addressing her, he bent to scoop Ori into a tight hug. "__**You will take care of Ziva for me?**__"_

_Ori nodded as he snuffled back tears. "__**I promise.**__"_

_Only once she was refocused on the child in his arms did he speak to her. "And you'll take care of you too, right?"_

_She did far less of an effective job attempting not to cry. "Right."_

_Without another word he reached the arm not supporting Ori's weight out to her and yanked her roughly against him in a tight hug. He lowered his voice and switched back to Hebrew. She knew that it was less about Ori understanding and more about no one else doing so. "__**I will miss you. I love you.**__"_

"_**I love you too.**__"_

_She stood pressed against his chest until the Marshall cleared his throat loudly. "I'm sorry, Miss David, but we have to go."_

_She exchanged one last look with Tony as he handed her Ori before the Marshall rushed her out._

* * *

Gibbs reached out to accept the glass of scotch that Anthony Senior offered him. The men raised their glasses at one another in a silent toast then both sipped the amber liquid.

"So, how's Tony doing? I mean, from what Abby told me on the phone this afternoon, he's had a lot thrown at him today."

Gibbs raised a single shoulder to shrug. "He's doing better than I would have. I have absolutely no doubt about it: there is not a question in his mind about whether or not he wants to be with her. He's sure about the baby too."

Senior nodded. "That he gets from his mother. She couldn't have turned her back on family if she'd tried. I just hope he turns out to be a better father than I did."

Gibbs glanced over as he took another pull from his drink. "He's a good man. He may not think he's ready for this, but, really, no one ever is. You worry yourself sick. But then you hold them for the first time and you just know. You can't screw it up because if you did you'd have to kick your own ass."

"You did a good job with him Gibbs. Thanks."

* * *

AN: No idea where that came from. We really only had planned the one little bit and BAM! The rest wrote itself. The next chapter will be the last of the story I think, followed by an epilogue. I am a little depressed at the idea of this story ending. Going to have to start something new immediately.

MN: Okay, so the collective "we" managed to tear ourselves up a couple times writing this on account of mental images of that puppy dog face Tony tends to get when he's really not happy but is pretending to be cause someone else needs him to. So we kinda grazed over those parts when proofreading. So blame any mistakes on that.

And madcloisfan: it's currently right at 11pm Central Time (where we are located) so technically this made it up Tuesday!


	12. Chapter 12

AN: To my dedicated 'regulars', I do not yet have my next multichapter story planned, only that I'm pretty sure it will be Criminal Minds. But there is some Tiva fluff (hopefully nearly angst free) that needs addressed first. So if you have any requests, prompts, or ideas for the CM story, PM them to me ASAP before I start that story. Also, I had an interview for a full time job today that starts July 8 (my birfdai!) and if I get that when I start I will have to cut back on writing significantly as I will keep my part time job too. Just want to have you all prepared for that possibility.

MN: Blah, blah, blah, What I care about is that this contains fluff, and then I get to do a short Tiva Fluff, and hopefully you guys will PM us and tell AJ that you want CM fluff. And then I can fluff myself into eternal bliss!

* * *

The feeling of her weight being shifted woke her up. Groggily she tried to get a handle on her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was being cradled in Tony's lap, head against his shoulder as he asked her about her pregnancy and she tried to ease his feelings of guilt for not being there through her rough first trimester.

She could only guess that she had fallen asleep there. Now, as she finally managed to figure out what was happening, Ziva realized that he must have removed her from his lap. He now stood above her and was in the process of lifting her from the couch.

Any other time she would have yelled at him to put her down, afraid he'd hurt himself. But not only did she know he'd refuse to comply tonight, but she was fighting an exhaustion that penetrated straight through into her soul.

She looped her arms around his shoulders as he moved around the coffee table and toward the stairs. Somehow, she managed to doze back off as he carried her, waking again as he laid her on the bed in the room Gibbs had once again been kind enough to loan her.

He pulled the covers over her before leaning down to kiss her on the forehead then straightening back up. "I'm going to go check on Ori. I'll be right back."

She nodded sleepily even as she heard his feet pad down the hall. By the time he'd returned a quick minute later she'd rolled to her side, but hadn't yet fallen asleep. The movement had seemingly woken the baby and she was moving quite significantly.

Tony quickly shed his jeans and button down shirt, climbing into bed in his undershirt and boxers after turning off the light. He lay facing her and, even in the near dark, she could see the intense look on his face. He was thinking again and for some reason she felt like he needed to stop doing that for a while.

As he lifted a hand toward her face she grabbed it with her own and redirected it to her swollen abdomen. The confused look he gave her was quickly replaced by one of awe as she felt their daughter give a sharp kick just below his hand. He stared down for a moment before dragging his eyes back to hers.

"Wow." In another instant his face fell. "I just can't believe I missed so much of it. I feel like I should have been there, Zi. You shouldn't have had to do this alone."

She reached up to cup his cheek with her palm. "It wasn't like you had a choice, Tony. And you're here now. That is what is important."

He stared at her for a long moment before nodding in agreement. When Ziva once again fell asleep just a few minutes later, his hand was still resting on her stomach.

* * *

_She stared at the stick in disbelief. It couldn't be right. She'd only even taken the test to eliminate one possible cause of her sickness._

_She'd been continuously ill for two weeks. Some days she was lucky to keep down Goldfish Crackers and water. At first she had thought it was simply a stomach bug, but when it didn't let up she knew it had to be something more serious._

_So, being the stubborn former Mossad officer she was, she'd tried to ride it out. Until she'd realized that she was late. Very late. But she could attribute that to the stress she'd been under and the illness combining to wreak havoc on her body, right?_

_Reluctantly, she had purchased the test at the pharmacy two blocks from the house they were staying in. Now she was staring at the little window in the white stick that clearly said the word 'Pregnant'. She was suddenly glad she'd waited out the timer by sitting on the closed lid of the toilet as the world shifted around her._

_She reached out a hand to the counter to steady herself and the test clattered to the floor. Pregnant. She was pregnant. With Tony's child. And she couldn't even tell him. She racked her brain trying to figure out how it had even happened._

_Okay she knew how it _happened_. It just shouldn't have been possible. She'd been on the pill for years. It was much easier with how her life worked if she was on a strictly regular schedule. She got a plummeting feeling in her stomach when it hit her. That first week she'd had Ori, she wasn't on her regular routine. It was more than possible that she'd missed multiple doses._

_A light knock on the bathroom door brought her crashing back to reality._

"_**Ziva, are you sick again?**__" She sucked in a deep breath at the sound of Ori's voice. She'd have time to completely lose it later. For now, she was going to plaster on a happy face and return to giving the boy his English lesson._

* * *

Tony had completely lost feeling in his right hand due to the crushing grip Ziva currently had on it. They were standing side by side in the courtroom, the rest of their team and Tony's father just behind them on the other side of the partition. Breena had accompanied the group today, but had volunteered to sit in the hall with Ori and a social worker to keep the boy entertained while the judge read his decision.

He felt Ziva's entire body tense as Judge Williams entered the room. He took his own seat before murmuring permission for the rest of them to do the same, but his partner made no move to sit so neither did he. The judge stared at them for a moment then shrugged and opened the file on his desk.

"Miss David, I have to tell you, I've never felt this much uncertainty when reviewing an adoption petition before."

He heard Ziva suck in a breath and her grip on his hand got even tighter as Williams continued.

"I have to say, I'm quite impressed with the loyalty your team showed to you yesterday. But when it really comes down to it, they are not the ones trying to adopt Ori. You are. Part of my job is to disconnect from my feelings and look at the facts. Fact is, you are unmarried, currently staying with your boss, pregnant, and a federal agent who works long hours in a dangerous job. Based on those facts, I cannot approve this adoption."

Tony felt Ziva completely freeze next to him as the Judge paused to take a deep breath.

"Yet. I cannot approve this adoption, yet. I'm going to sign off on an extension of your foster license, Ms. David. Take a year. Get your life together. Settle back in. In a year we'll come back, provided you continue to meet the criteria of your home visits. At that point if I feel like you're more stable, I'll sign the papers."

Tony let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. For a moment he'd been afraid that Ori was going to be taken from them. It wasn't exactly the outcome they had been hoping for but he knew Ziva could handle it. They had a year to figure out everything else. They would find a way.

* * *

Ziva sunk back into the cushions of Gibbs' couch with a sigh of relief. Not that she was willing to admit it, but her back was aching and her feet were swollen and painful. After a moment Tony appeared with the glass of water she'd requested, handing it to her before dropping onto the couch next to her.

Once she'd taken a long drink, she set the glass on the table and turned, bringing her legs up to drape across his lap. He captured one foot in his hands and began kneading the sore appendage gently. The pleasure dragged a small moan from her mouth, which in turn brought a smile to his face.

He let her enjoy the feel of his fingers for a moment before he broke the silence while he continued the massage. "So? What'd you think? Did you like them, hate them?"

Ziva shrugged. She wasn't sure how to answer his question. "I did not like the first one, or the last one. The first one had…too many walls."

Tony nodded emphatically. "I agree. I like more open floorplans. What was wrong with the last one?"

Ziva chewed her bottom lip contemplatively for a moment before the answer struck her. "It had four doors. That's just _way_ too many entrances."

His laugh surprised her but the look on his face told her he understood. "Alright, my security conscious ninja, what about the middle one? No hallways, open floorplan, three doors if you count the one in from the garage, nice sized yard, and that Jacuzzi tub in the master bath."

She took her time to mull over the second of the three houses they had looked at that afternoon as he switched his attention to her other foot. She had been looking at houses for two weeks now, and she really needed to find something soon. She, Ori, and Tony had taken such complete control over Gibbs' house that the man was now full on staying at Tony's apartment. It couldn't go on like this, so she'd been house hunting every night. Out of every one she looked at, today's number two was definitely at the front of the pack.

In addition to the attributes Tony had listed out for her, the house was convenient to work, in a good school district, had a good sized yard, and was already hardwired for a security system. The only downside on it was the price. It was a little outside of her range based on her conversations with a mortgage officer at her bank.

"It's lovely, Tony. But I don't think I can manage the monthly payments." His fingers froze on her skin and she looked to his face to find him scowling and she didn't know why. "What?"

He shook his head. "Okay, so I guess we're not communicating as well as I thought we were. Because I've kinda been under the impression that _we_ were looking for a house. As in for all of us. As in my responsibility for the mortgage too. I keep telling you, Ziva. I'm all in on this. At lo levad."

Her heart constricted in her chest as she nodded back at him. "I know, I just figured, I mean we had not discussed it and I know you have your lease to fulfill."

His mouth hitched up in a half smile. "Actually, I've had an offer to sublet my apartment. Seems Dad wants to be more 'local' if he's going to have grandchildren that need spoiling. Already okayed it with my landlady."

She stared at him a moment. Her next question needed to be asked delicately or she risked hurting his feelings. "And you're sure you are ready for this?"

His hands moved from her feet to take her hands from her lap, squeezing them gently. "A pack of crazy Davids couldn't keep me away from you any longer." He leaned over to kiss her soundly, leaving _her_ with a smile as he pulled back.

"Well, in that case, I will call the broker tomorrow."

Tony shook his head as he extracted her cell phone from her pocket with surprising ease. "Why wait?"

* * *

AN: So I actually thought I had another little scene I wanted in this chapter but I really think it's better ended there. I like how it is. So it's official: just the Epilogue to go and then we're done. Then it's on to my Tiva oneshot (which will be written as a sequel to a oneshot Tel Nok Shock is writing) then my Criminal Minds ficcie.

MN: That last little bit of (almost) pure fluff was, shockingly, AJ, not me. Even more of a shock, that first angsty bit with the judge, _was_ me. That said, I cannot take credit for the idea behind the epilogue, but the writing itself shall probably be mostly me. It should be up no later than Saturday night. Also, I'm very excited for our little piece of joint work with Tel.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Sadly, my lovelies, we have come to the end. While I am greatly saddened, I am also looking forward to moving on to the next story. Also, I got a call today (28 hours after my interview when they said 1-2 weeks) informing me that I got the job. Which means I have one month and 8 days of being a part time employee with the freedom to bum around writing 2-3 days and several evenings a week. So I am going to try to bust out at least a couple of ficcies in that time. I hope you will all continue to read my work, just be prepared for slower updates!

MN: I am rather sad that I won't be getting to spend as much time with all of you once she starts this job. Hopefully we can find more time to write then she expects! Thanks again to all of you for reading. Now, on with our conclusion!

* * *

He was grumbling under his breath as he rushed through the door to his office, hurrying straight past his assistant. He was late. He hated being late. He didn't like walking in unprepared and that was exactly what he was about to have to do. A combination of traffic and flat tire had delayed his commute by nearly an hour.

Judge Gilbert Williams exchanged his coat for his robe and exited his office. His assistant was at his side in a moment, a file in her hands. She matched his pace down the hallway, heading for his courtroom as she spoke. "All parties for the DiNozzo adoption are waiting."

DiNozzo… Why did that sound familiar? He was fairly positive he'd never had a case with that name before but the name was not at all common and he was sure he had heard it before. He took the file then paused at the door to the courtroom to compose himself.

As he took his seat, recognition hit him like a load of bricks. Before him was not just a couple trying to adopt, but a small army. He opened the file and scanned the front page. Apparently, Ziva David had married her partner six months ago, although she had kept her own last name, likely due to work. What had been, a year earlier, a petition for a single adoption was now one for the couple to adopt the young boy standing between them.

He fought to keep the smile off his face as he looked out into the courtroom. He recognized the faces of the rest of the couple's team, along with a man who could only be DiNozzo's father and a woman who shared the same complexion and dark hair as David. An aunt possibly? The man was cradling a sleeping infant that Williams could only assume was the couple's daughter.

"Nice to see you all again. I see you have taken my advice about settling your life."

David nodded back at him in earnest. "Yes, Your Honor."

He read on in the file, sharing the highlights aloud. "Married six months ago. Your daughter is healthy. Purchased a home. Ori is most of the way through Kindergarten. Mr. DiNozzo's father has moved locally to help look after the children when you both have to work late. Your husband is joining your petition for adoption and the various social worker reviews I have here are beyond glowing. I have to say, I'm pleasantly surprised."

He watched as her husband squeezed her hand and she smiled at him. "That said, I can see absolutely no reason to drag this out any longer. Your petition for adoption is granted. I'll sign off on everything today and get it filed. You'll be able to get a copy of the paperwork on Monday."

* * *

As he stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room, Anthony couldn't help but smile. At that moment his son was sitting in an armchair, his daughter in his arms and Ori perched on his knee. It hadn't taken long for him to realize that Tony was going to be a _much_ better father than he had been. A better husband too.

It had taken his son three months to convince the lovely Ziva David to marry him. In fact, she hadn't finally agreed to it until she was holding their daughter in her arms just hours after giving birth. They had kept the ceremony small when they'd wed another three months later, limiting it to just family and holding it in Gibbs' back yard.

Everyone who had been present that day was now comfortably crowded in Tony and Ziva's house, celebrating the finalization of Ori's adoption the day before. In true family fashion, everyone had brought something to share and they had been talking, eating, and laughing since around noon.

"I think he's doing better than the pair of us combined ever managed to, AD."

Anthony turned to Gibbs' voice behind him and accepted the outstretched beer. "I know he is. How did a couple of guys as screwed up as us managed to make a man like that out of him?"

Gibbs smiled and shrugged. "Pure luck, I guess."

They watched in silence as Ori slid from Tony's lap to go play with Tim and Jimmy. Abby took the opportunity to snag baby Jenny from Tony's arms and Ziva, in turn, took advantage of the moment to sit on Tony's lap and brush a quick kiss across his lips.

Anthony looked back at Gibbs and raised his beer bottle. "To family."

Gibbs nodded and raised his own bottle. "To family."

* * *

AN: I know this was supposed to be up yesterday but I spent the day with my mother, sister-in-law, nephew, and little bro. Then I had to clean up the house because for the second Sunday in a row, I am getting a last minute visitor (not JenJen this time though). Then, not gonna lie, I got caught up in a story by Jelenamichel (check her out on my favorite authors, her stuff rocks) until I fell asleep. So, I'm sorry.

MN: I second all of what she said and would like to add that it's not too late to make a suggestion for our Criminal Minds fic. Also, for whenever we do our next NCIS fic, what would you like to see? Throw some prompts at us folks! As always, thanks for taking this ride with us. We love you guys!


End file.
